Reflecting on legal responses to intimate partner femicide in Scotland

McPherson, R. (2023) Reflecting on legal responses to intimate partner femicide in Scotland. Violence Against Women, 29(3-4), pp. 686-704. (doi: 10.1177/10778012221094068) (PMID:35989666)

Abstract

This article considers legal responses to intimate partner femicide in Scotland. It reflects on how the plea of provocation on the basis of infidelity has been used, pointing to misrepresentation of the relationship between domestic abuse and stalking. From there, findings from 57 IPF cases are presented. These findings indicate problematic stereotypes in how IPF cases are reported and the operation of the ‘love narrative’ (Monckton Smith, 2021) in sentencing. It is concluded that more must be done to label IPF cases appropriately and that improvements are achievable within the current criminal justice framework.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This work was supported by Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, project number RIG009155.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: McPherson, Dr Rachel
• Authors: McPherson, R.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Law
• Journal Name: Violence Against Women
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• ISSN: 1077-8012
• ISSN (Online): 1552-8448
• Published Online: 22 August 2022
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 The Author
• First Published: First published in Violence Against Women 29(3-4): 686-704
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
308843		Scottish homicides: bridging the gap between the empirical and theoretical	Rachel McPherson	The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland (CARNEGTR)	RIG009155	Law